Story+1999-09-27+Chicago,+IL

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…good evening, Chicago (crowd cheers) gonna put you to the witness tonight…yeah, yeah, yeah…there’s gonna be a meeting…there’s gonna be a meeting in the town tonight (crowd cheers) once more… yeah, yeah, yeah…are you ready for me, people? (crowd cheers) there’s gonna be a meeting…there’s gonna be a meeting in the town tonight…”
 * 27.09.99 Chicago, IL, intro to “The Ties That Bind”**

“Come on, let’s ride! (crowd cheers)...”
 * 27.09.99 Chicago, IL, intro to “Darlington County”**

“Good evening, Chicago (crowd cheers)…”
 * 27.09.99 Chicago, IL, intro to “Mansion on the Hill”**

“I need a volunteer (crowd cheers)…(does the pelvic thrust towards someone in the crowd) thank you, baby…(sings a bit of “It’s Alright” and “Take Me to the River”)…that’s right…that’s where I want to go ...I wanna go to the river…the river of life…the river of love (crowd cheers) and the river of hope...the river of sanctification (crowd cheers) the river of transformation (crowd cheers) the river of resurrection (crowd cheers) the river of happiness (crowd cheers) that’s where I wanna go tonight and I want you to go with me (crowd cheers) because I need to go with you (crowd cheers) because you can’t get there by yourself...you can’t get there by yourself and that’s a hard lesson to learn…in the end, though, you cannot get there by yourself…and so I found myself as a young man standing before a dark grove of trees, frightened to pass through those trees onto the other side even though I knew that that’s where the river of life was waiting...and the river of a meaningful life…and cold beer at a reasonable price (crowd cheers) but I was paralyzed, my legs felt like stone and my arms were like lead and I was rooted to the ground and I couldn’t move because I was paralyzed by…the fear of that life because I knew it would bring with it responsibilities…and I wasn’t so sure I could carry it… and I was about to give up when I looked into the trees and I saw a light and I stepped in a little bit further and there was a gypsy woman sitting outside of an air-stream trailer…and I told her my fears and my concerns and she looked into my palm and she said “Well…listen, Mr. Independence…you need some help to get to the other side…what you need, Son, is you need a band” (crowd cheers) and that’s why I’d like to introduce tonight, ladies and gentlemen, the Dean of the University of Musical Perversity, the Secretary of Intelligence, on piano, Professor Roy Bittan (crowd cheers) with me at the riverside…I want to introduce the Secretary of Friendship, keeper of all that is righteous on E Street, on guitar, Little Steven Van Zandt (crowd cheers) standing with me, Brother, at the riverside…I want to introduce the foundation of the E Street nation, Southern man, Mr. Garry W. Tallent on the bass (crowd cheers) with me at the riverside…I want to introduce the Secretary of Syncopation…(?) Minister of the Mighty Beat, Mighty Max Weinberg on the drums (crowd cheers) bringing mightiness and strength with me at the riverside…I want to introduce a man born in Chicago in 1951 (crowd cheers) the Secretary of heart and spirit, Godfather of the guitar, Mr. Nils Lofgren (crowd cheers) standing with me at the riverside…I want to introduce my brother, Minister of mystery and of all things unfathomable in this life, Phantom Dan Federici on the organ and the accordion (crowd cheers) with me at the riverside…now, you can’t get there without love in your life…I wanna say brunettes are fine, blondes are fun but when it comes to getting a serious job done, it takes a (crowd: “Red headed woman”) yeah, man, I’m talking ’bout a (crowd: “Red headed woman”) oh, man, I’m searching for a (crowd: “Red headed woman”) I’ve got to find myself a (crowd: “Red headed woman”) yeah, man, I’m looking for a (crowd: “Red headed woman”)   oh, I’m searching (crowd: “Red headed woman”) yeah, I’m searching (crowd: “Red headed woman”) …First Lady of love, Secretary of sweet harmony, on the guitar and vocals, Miss Patti Scialfa, with me at the riverside (crowd cheers) thank you, baby…and now I passed through some of those trees and I could see the riverbanks and there were people all around with their hands in the air, welcoming me onward (crowd cheers) but there was still something missing…something essential…something fundamental…something we couldn’t go on without…that’s why I wanna introduce to you the Minister of soul, the Secretary of the brotherhood, Emperor of E Street - do I have to say his name? (crowd cheers) do I have to say his name? (crowd cheers) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”) say who? (crowd: “Clarence”)…”
 * 27.09.99 Chicago, IL, middle of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”**

“Yes it is! (crowd cheers)…I wanna be, I wanna be where the fans are (crowd cheers)…”
 * 27.09.99 Chicago, IL, intro to “Where the Bands Are”**

“Thank you, I want to, uh…do this next song for some friends of ours that are here tonight…the folks from the Greater Chicago Food Depository are with us tonight and they’ll be out in the lobby… they’re a…non-profit food distribution center working to feed struggling families and individuals here in Chicago…many, many poor people, working poor, that the American economy is not reaching…the Greater Chicago Food Depository is there to help ensure what should be basic a human right, the right to food and the right to (?)(crowd cheers) they deserve your support and your time, when you go out into the lobby tonight, please check them out, give them a hand…we’ve worked with them since ’85, this is for, this is in memory of Judy (?)…”
 * 27.09.99 Chicago, IL, intro to “The Ghost of Tom Joad”**

“Chicago! (crowd cheers) Chicago! (crowd cheers) but everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve seen people lost…in the wilderness…I’ve seen people lost…in bitterness…I’ve seen people lost…in loneliness…in this city I’ve seen people lost…in the pizza…lost…in Mike Ditka-memorabilia …lost…in all the (?)…but I’m here tonight on a search-and-rescue mission…if your souls bankrupt, I’m gonna fill it up…if your spirit’s running on empty…if your heart, if your heart, if your heart, if your heart, if your heart needs a little, needs a little…I’m here tonight to let you know I’ve come to re-educate…rededicate…regenerate… resuscitate…re-confiscate…re-indoctrinate…re-sexualate…re-comboobulate…re-liberate you with the power…and the promise… with the glory…with the mystery…with the ministry of rock’n’roll! (crowd cheers) that’s right…it’s alive!…with the power…with the promise…with the glory…with the mystery…with the majesty…with the foolishness…with the ministry of rock’n’roll! (crowd cheers) now unlike my competitors, I shall not…I will not…I cannot…I shall not… I will not…promise you life everlasting but I can promise you life right now! (crowd cheers) and all you gotta do is raise your hand and say “I” (crowd and Bruce start going “I, I, I”)…”
 * 27.09.99 Chicago, IL, middle of “Light of Day”**

//Compiled by Johanna Pirttijärvi//